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Our article looks at The Meanings Behind The Songs On Stevie Nicks Trouble In Shangri-La album which was Stevie Nicks’ sixth album. Trouble in Shangri-La was released in May 2001. It was her first solo project since Street Angel which came out in 1994. She had been in the music business for decades at this point. She proved that she still has a loyal fanbase. The album peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 charts. It was her highest charting album since she released The Wild Heart in 1983. Trouble in Shangri-La sold 109, 000 copies in the first week. The album spent 20 weeks on the Billboard 200 charts. The album went gold in about six weeks. The album sold over 663,000 copies. It features the singles “Every Day,” “Planets of the Universe” and “Sorcerer.”
Stevie Nicks talks about her addiction on the album. She shares how she felt when she was addicted to Klonopin. She thought it would keep her from writing songs. She talks about fighting her way out of writer’s block. The legend talks about the struggles she had with her fellow bandmates Fleetwood Mac. Stevie Nicks was inspired by the O.J. Simpson trial when she wrote one of her songs. Stevie Nicks likes to give her listeners an inside look on her personal life. She talks about her relationships in her music. This article will tell you about the meanings behind the songs on Stevie Nicks’ Trouble in Shangri-La album.
# 1 – Trouble in Shangri-La
The first song on our list of The Meanings Behind The Songs On Stevie Nicks Trouble In Shangri-La album is “Trouble in Shangri-La.” The title track “Trouble in Shangri-La” is about the difficulties of being in a relationship when you are a celebrity. She talks about how tough it is to hold on to a relationship when you are in the public eye. She believes it’s hard to hold on to the perfect life when you are famous. She advises people to hold on to the Shangri-La. She wants people to hold on to the fantasy that life is perfect. She feels people who don’t have a lot of money and are not famous don’t want to hear that famous people don’t have perfect lives. As far as we’re all concerned, celebrities have perfect lives.
Stevie Nicks wrote “Trouble in Shangri-La” during the O.J. Simpson trial. The song isn’t about him, but the trial made her think about relationships like his. She thought people would understand what the situation was like from their point of view. The track reminded her of her own life, but it was not about her situation. The song is an inside look on how people are trying to stay on top of their game while they are in relationships.
# 2 – Candlebright
The next song on our list of The Meanings Behind The Songs On Stevie Nicks Trouble In Shangri-La album is “Candlebright.” “Candlebright” is a song about fame. She wrote the song before she and Lindsey Buckingham became celebrities. The song isn’t about him, but she had a premonition about what it would be like to famous and in love. She talks about being someone who used to move around a lot before she was famous. She discusses how life changed once she and Lindsey Buckingham started working with their first band. Her life wasn’t the same after that happened. She kept moving around after that happened.
In the song, she talks about moving around a lot. Stevie Nicks felt the worst part of moving around is saying goodbye to the people she loved. She hated saying goodbye to her family, her home and the person she was dating. As a rock star, she knew she would have to keep leaving people that she loved. The track is about Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. She wrote the song in 1970. She was about 22 at the time that she wrote the track. She relied on fantasies because she hadn’t moved around when she wrote it. The rock and roll singer wanted to leave a light on so she could always go back home. Here is a fun fact about the song. Singer and songwriter Sheryl Crow sings in the background on the song.
# 3 – Sorcerer
“Sorcerer” is a track about Hollywood, and it was a foreign place to her and Lindsey Buckingham. Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham were trying to make it in the music business. Her eyes were opened about what happens in the music business. She wasn’t naïve about what was going on in Hollywood anymore. Stevie Nicks reflects on celebrities who had fame, but it didn’t make them happy. The legend didn’t want her life and Lindsey Buckingham’s life to turn into the lives of celebrities who weren’t happy. She didn’t want them to be like the musicians who lived dark lives. She lets down the walls and shares how she feels about giving in to the temptation of losing herself to stardom.
It was a battle between her old life and her new life. She had to wrestle with being a celebrity or not being a celebrity. The song could also be a metaphor for drug use. She has been vocal about battling her demons when it comes to drug use. She wrote the track in 1974 before she and Lindsey Buckingham joined Fleetwood Mac. Stevie Nicks gave the song to singer Marilyn Martin to record in 1984. Stevie Nicks sang in the background of the song. Stevie Nicks recorded the song herself for this album. Sheryl Crow co-produced the song with Stevie Nicks.
# 4 – Planets Of The Universe
“Planets of the Universe” is a song about a breakup. She wrote about her breakup with Lindsey Buckingham. She talks about her relationship with Lindsey Buckingham. They broke up while Fleetwood Mac was recording the Rumours album. The singer was upset with Lindsey Buckingham when she wrote the song. She was angry and bitter about their breakup. Stevie Nicks was angry when she wrote the song. She wanted to get her feelings out about how she felt when they broke up. She was depressed about love and relationships. She was in a bad place for about six months. She was ready to give up on love because she was angry at Lindsey Buckingham.
She talked about wanting to be alone after her relationship ended. This was the hardest song for her to write. She was in a dark place when their relationship ended. The song was harsh, and it was her way of letting Lindsey Buckingham know how she felt. They went through a lot of drama and bitterness toward each other. She wanted him to disappear so she wouldn’t have to see him again. Some of the lyrics were too bitter so she had to edit the song before she recorded it for the album. “Planets of the Universe” is the second single from the album. The song peaked at number one on the Dance charts.
# 5 – Every Day
The next song on our list of The Meanings Behind The Songs On Stevie Nicks Trouble In Shangri-La album is “Every Day.” “Every Day” is a pleading song about wanting someone in your life. She thinks about the person every day. She doesn’t want to be kept on a string. She wants to know how the person feels. She wants the person to open up to her about how they feel. She wants him to tell her how he feels. She always wants the person in her life. He is the main person on her mind “every day.” She breathes him every day. He takes over her mind and she wants him in her life.
Stevie Nicks didn’t write this song. This is one of the few tracks on the album that she didn’t pen herself. The writer kept the song similar to her style so you can forget that she didn’t write it. It sounds like it could be about someone in her life. She didn’t reveal who the subject is in the song. “Every Day” is the first single from the album. The song peaked at number 17 on the Adult Contemporary charts. It also peaked at number 39 on the Adult Top 40 charts.
# 6 – Too Far From Texas ft. Natalie Maines
“Too Far From Texas” is about an affair. The song is about a woman who is involved with a married man. She talks about how she feels about being the other woman. The woman in the song lives in Texas and the married man lives in England. She feels he’s too far away from her. She can’t have his entire heart because he’s married to another woman. She debates on whether or not to pursue the relationship with the married man or leave him alone. She tries to get through to him. He comes to visit her, but they don’t see each other enough. He writes to her and lets her know that he would see her, but she’s not sure if he would do it.
She lets him know that she loves him. She wonders if he knows how long she’s waited for love. She wonders if he knows that she will wait for him if he shows that he wants her. She will love him no matter how long it takes for him to be with her. The singer pours her heart out about a man she loves who isn’t available to be with her. Singer Natalie Maines was added to bring the song some country flavor.
# 7 – That Made Me Stronger
“That Made Me Stronger” is about her personal struggles with addiction. She was dealing with writer’s block because of her addiction to Klonopin. She didn’t think she would be able to write anymore. She wanted to get help from singer Tom Petty to work on the album. He was convinced she could write on her own. He believed she was a talented songwriter and that she could do it. He wanted her to have faith in herself and write the song. She was inspired to dig deep in her heart and come up with this track. This song covers how she felt when she had to pick up the pieces and write for the album.
The discussion Stevie Nicks had with Tom Petty was enough to make her believe in herself again. She was convinced that she could write the way she did before she had to battle her demons. She realized her spirit was still alive. The conversation was an important moment in her life. She was determined to write the song so she talks about her struggles on this track. She credited Tom Petty for giving her the strength to write the song.
# 8 – It’s Only Love ft. Sheryl Crow
“It’s Only Love” is about love and relationships. The track talks about Stevie Nicks’ past relationships. The song is about the men that Stevie Nicks dated and the ones she’s still friends with after the relationships ended. She still cares about the men that were in her life. She remains in contact with the men in her life. The men are still around her in one way or another. She’s thrilled that she could still see them even after what happened in the past. The singer is grateful that the men in her life still want to have a place in her life.
Sheryl Crow got to know Stevie Nicks so she could write this track. She found out about the rocker’s personal life, and she was amazed by it. She was inspired to write the song because she was surprised that the men in Stevie Nicks’ life were still in her life. Stevie Nicks embraced the fact that she’s not married and doesn’t have kids. If she had kids, she would have to stop performing to be a mother. She loved music too much to give it up. She thought it was more important to make people happy than to have a family.
# 9 – Love Changes
“Love Changes” is about a relationship that’s coming to an end. She talks about what happened in her relationship. She did everything for the man she loved. She wasn’t happy in the relationship anymore and she thought it was time for a change. She loved him, but she didn’t love him the way she did before. She realized she was catering to him. She was putting his needs before her own. She made sure not to cause any trouble so she could avoid conflict with him. She saw the end coming in their relationship. She was okay with seeing him suffer because she was angry about the relationship ending.
Stevie Nicks was happy that he ended up alone. She saw that coming for him. She was pleased that she had an effect on him. She gives the listeners a glimpse of what happened during her tumultuous relationship with her lover. He was controlling her and that was the problem in their relationship. She didn’t like the fact had a hold on her. She was in love with him, but it didn’t change the fact that he made her feel powerless. The song is possibly about her relationship with Lindsey Buckingham.
# 10 – I Miss You
The next song on our list of The Meanings Behind The Songs On Stevie Nicks Trouble In Shangri-La album is “I Miss You.” “I Miss You” is about a woman who misses someone while the person isn’t around. She has questions about things. She wants to talk to the person about love and relationships. She feels the person is the only one who could tell her what she wants to know about love and relationships. She thinks about the person all the time. She can’t bear the thought of the person she loves being gone. She misses the person every day.
In addition to love, he talks to her about fame in a way that he could understand. He knows how she feels when she has to be away from the person she loves. Stevie Nicks wishes she were able to spend more time with the person she loves. Fans were scratching their heads wondering who she was talking about in the song. They wondered if she was talking about her family, her friend or a lover. The lyrics leave the door open for interpretation.
# 11 – Bombay Sapphires
“Bombay Sapphires” is a track about her moving on after a bad relationship. Stevie Nicks got the idea from being in Hawaii. She had to leave the world behind to write this song. She wrote about the blue and gray ocean and compared it to “Bombay Sapphires.” She compared it to an on again off again relationship with a man in her life. The relationship didn’t work out the way she hoped. She wanted to talk about it and use metaphors to explain how she felt during the relationship. She compared her ex-lover’s blue-gray eyes to the ocean that she enjoyed in Hawaii.
People were confused about the title of the song. People thought the song was about a drink. Stevie Nicks said the song isn’t about a drink. She added a letter on the end so people wouldn’t confuse it with the drink. She wanted to explore how she felt during the end of her relationship and how she wants to move on with her life. Stevie Nicks’ fans thought the song was about Lindsey Buckingham because she tends to describe his eye color in her songs. His eye color is blue and gray and she mentions it in the song. Listeners can put on their detective hats to figure out who she’s talking about in the song.
# 12 – Fall From Grace
“Fall From Grace” is about her time with Fleetwood Mac. She talks about what happened while they were touring during the Dance tour. The band reunited and worked on an album and tour together. Stevie Nicks went into detail about the ups and downs of their reunion. She talks about what the band goes through when they are on tour together. The singer explains how it felt to be in a relationship with a bandmate and the relationship didn’t work out. She also talks about being in another relationship and worrying that if the relationship was revealed they would be destroyed. She didn’t think they would be able to keep working together if their relationship were revealed.
Stevie Nicks discusses her relationship with Lindsey Buckingham as well as what it was like working with him in Fleetwood Mac. She talks about being with Mick Fleetwood too. She talks about other members of the band as well as herself. She has an epiphany that fame isn’t what she thought it would be. She also mentions her solo career. By the end of the song, she briefly talks about battling her addiction. She doesn’t leave anything off limits in the song.
# 13 – Love Is ft. Sarah McLachlan
The last song on our list of The Meanings Behind The Songs On Stevie Nicks Trouble In Shangri-La album is “Love Is.” “Love Is” talks about a couple who are in love, but they break up. Love can be a powerful thing, but it’s not always enough of a reason to stay together. She loved the man she was with, but she couldn’t keep staying in that space. She didn’t want her ex-lover to call her or be around her. The woman in the relationship makes the man come alive. He wanted to know how she would feel if he walked away, and she didn’t have him around to hold her. She was heartbroken and cried over the situation.
Her ex-lover questions if she knows anything about love. She lets him know that she does and that’s why she has to let him go. She loves him too much to stay in a toxic relationship. He showed her how to love, but he showed her how to let go too. She may have been in love with him, but she knew it was time to move on with her life. Stevie Nicks’ fans played song detective and wondered if the song is about her relationship with Lindsey Buckingham. She may not confirm or deny who she’s talking about in the song. Half the fun is guessing the identity of the subjects of her songs.
Meanings Behind The Songs On Stevie Nicks Trouble In Shangri-LA Album article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2022
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